The remains of a Mesolithic settlement from the 9th-8th millennium BC near Loutra, are the oldest evidence of domestic dwelling that has come to light in the Cyclades to date. The first historically recorded inhabitants of the island (they are referred by to Herodotus) were the Dryopes and Kythnos was the name of their colony’s founder and leader. The ancient city of Kythnos stood on the site of modern-day Vryokastro, and important antiquities have come to light there. The island has two main settlements: Chora (or Mesaria) and Dryopida (or Chorio). Both towns are served by nearby harbors : Chora by Loutra with its thermal springs to the north-east and Dryopida by Kanala, with its church of the same name, on the south-east coast. The island’s port Merichas, lies between the two villages.

According to mythology, the temple of Poseidon at Sounion is the place where Aegeas committed suicide when he saw the black sails of the ship of his son Theseus – who had gone to Knossos to confront Minotaur – believing he was dead. That is why the sea was called after his name Aegean Sea. The temple was dedicated to Poseidon, the god of the sea, and was built twice. At the beginning of the 5th century it was destroyed by the Persians around 444 BC. Pericles was ordered to rebuild the temple. It was completed in 440 BC. Truly innovative for its time. As they say, when you visit the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion, you feel the positive energy of the universe, you let all your senses work without restraint. Thought, heart and soul open. Even as described by NASA, the Temple of Sounion looks like a lighthouse and its lights seem to indicate spots in the sky! For example, the long beam to the right leads to the Lagoon Nebula, a diffuse nebula, located in the constellation of Sagittarius (in the central zone of our Milky Way), and is visible to the naked eye in good visibility.

After your visit to our office for the necessary procedure in our base at Olympic Marine, we will start our cruise head to Kythnos where we will remain for the next two hours. After one hour we will anchor to the beach of Kolones and the “winged” islet of Agios Loukas. There, we will have time to swim, snorkeling ,taking magnificent photos and eating a snack before your visit to the beautiful city of Chora. After two hours we will depart for Cape Sounio so that you can feel also the Spiritual energy of the inside of your nostrils as air flows in and dive once more, ending your day beautifully before our return to Olympic Marine. Our main purpose is to adjust the character of our cruises to the choices of our guests. So you will decide if you want to spend more time on a secluded bay for swimming, if you want to stay and visit the Temple of Poseidon, or if you wish to visit Chora- Kythnos and have lunch there before our return to Olympic Marine.